**6. Conclusions**

In Spain, the goat sector has the potential to continue growing. At a national level the development of several certified products with quality trades/labels on meat or on elaborated products such as cheeses would allow increases and improvements to production, the value of the products and globally breeders recognition, profitability, and income. Also exportation of Spanish goat milk or meat to other countries together with higher and more common or traditional goat consumption would be a possible growth strategy.

The high genetic variability of breeds has been identified and characterized in the Spanish goat population. Each one has been adapted to the conditions of the rearing region and specific production systems according to their main aptitude (meat, dairy, dual purpose) and environmental resources.

**39**

provided the original work is properly cited.

\*Address all correspondence to: aguerre@unizar.es

Ana Guerrero1,2\*, José Alfonso Abecia1,3 and Carlos Sañudo1,2

2 Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

1 Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Universidad de Zaragoza,

3 Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón

*The Goat Sector in Spain: Situation, Local Breeds, and Production Systems*

Versatility of the species lets them adapt to different orographic and technical conditions, presenting adequate performance since extensive rural areas to on the

Institutional support from the government, from the small ruminant sectors and breeders' associations is essential for the progress of the species. Also, the increase in studies of the characteristics, possibilities of production of different breeds, and goodness of their products would be desirable. It is essential to transmit such knowledge to the population, which needs to be sensitized, informed, and educated about nutritional, environmental, social, and economic virtues of

The authors thank the Spanish Goat Breeders' Associations and individual breeders that have collaborated on the diverse departmental projects developed over

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82539*

newest specialized and intensified farms.

this species.

**Acknowledgements**

the last few decades.

**Author details**

Zaragoza, Spain

(IUCA), Zaragoza, Spain

*The Goat Sector in Spain: Situation, Local Breeds, and Production Systems DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82539*

Versatility of the species lets them adapt to different orographic and technical conditions, presenting adequate performance since extensive rural areas to on the newest specialized and intensified farms.

Institutional support from the government, from the small ruminant sectors and breeders' associations is essential for the progress of the species. Also, the increase in studies of the characteristics, possibilities of production of different breeds, and goodness of their products would be desirable. It is essential to transmit such knowledge to the population, which needs to be sensitized, informed, and educated about nutritional, environmental, social, and economic virtues of this species.
